Margaret Waggoner was a Renaissance woman, with a passion for many topics including history, poetry, physics, and the natural world. A retired physics professor and Dean of Smith College, Margaret lived in Goshen for 20 years, and worked actively to preserve the town’s history as Chair of the Historical Commission and President of the Williams-Boltwood House Trust.
Margaret cared deeply for wildlife and knew she wanted to conserve her land, which includes extensive wetlands and sensitive wildlife habitat. She was in the process of doing so with Hilltown Land Trust when she passed away in September of 2021. Because she knew it might not be completed in her lifetime, she included language in her will to ensure the land would be conserved.
In addition to wildlife habitat, Margaret valued the peace she found through quiet contemplation in her woods and wanted others to experience the same on her trails. Thanks to her generous gift, people and wildlife will be able to enjoy her land in perpetuity.
To learn more about the ways you can leave a green legacy for The Hilltowns, visit the Green Legacy Circle page on our website or contact Katie Carr: katie@hilltownlandtrust.org or (413) 628-4485, ext. 5.